Method and means for making crepe paper



Aug. 5, 1930. H UEB K 1,772,185

METHOD AND MEANS FOR MAKING CREPE PAPER Filed Sept. 27, 1928 FIRST PRESSROLLS.

SECOND RRESS ROLLS.

RECEIVING Floor \evel lm/enfar. Harry L/ebec/c Patented Aug. 5, 1930UNITED STATES PATENT OFFKZE HARRY LIEBECK, OF SWARTHMORE', PENNSYLVANIA,ASSIGNOR TO SCOTT PAPER COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA METHODAND MEANS FOR MAKING CREPE PAPER Application filed September 27, 1928.Serial No. 308,699.

Heretofore, it has been customary to make crepe paper by conveying thewet paper from the paper making machine to a drier cylinder and from thesurface of WlllCh the paper is removed by use of a reciprocatlng bladeknown as a doctor, which act, cooperating with the revolving cylinder,gives to the paper a creped condition, the paper so produced beingsubsequently dr1ed. Such creped papers are used for decorative purposes,towels, napkins, etc. When crepe paper is formed in this manner, ther1dged structure produced over its surface 1s more or less rigid andconsequently the paper lacks a softness which is most desirable foralmost all uses to which it may be put. Moreover,

1 the increasing of softness reduces the liability of the paper to tearunder rough usage when used either for decorative purposes or Y fortowels and napkins.

The object of my invention is to provide a method and means which willimpart to the creped paper a greatly increased softness and secure theseresults during the creping of the a er.

Vith the above and other objects in View, the nature of which will bemore full understood from the description hereina ter, the inventionconsists in the novel method and means for making crepe paper, ashereinafter more fully described and defined 1n the claims. 7

In the drawing, I have illustrated diagrammatically the elements whichenter into the paper making machine, more especially for producing thesoft creped condition.

The endless wire apron of the F ourdrinier or paper making machineproper is indicated at 2, and 3 is the couch roll at the delivery endthereof. It will not be necessary for me to refer to the details of theFourdrinier machine, as such is well known in the manufacture of paper.

P represents the paper web as it leavesthe Fourdrinier machine andsubjected to a drying operation by the cylinder drier 12 afterpreferably being subjected to pressure between the press rolls 4, 4, todensify the fibers of the wet paper sheet as well as squeezing out anyexcessive moisture from the paper before the same is treated by thedrier.

5 is an endless felt web which passes about a guide roller 6 close tothe couch roll 3, thence between the press rolls 4, 4, thence downwardabout a guide roll 7 arranged close to the cylinder drier 12, thencefurther-downward and about guide rollers 8, 9, 8, 8, and upward aboutthe guide roller 6 first mentioned. The roller 9 may be considered as atension roller producing a bight or loop 10 in the felt web and forkeeping it under proper tension. The web 5 in passing from guide roller6 to the press rolls is preferably inclined upward, so that any moisturesqueezed out by the press rolls 4 will flow backward away from the pressrolls, so that the web after passing through the press rolls is in asuitable condition to be'delivered to the drier for preliminary dryinthereby during a partial revolution of the rier.

As the paper passes upward about the outer surface of the drier 12, itis given a preliminary drying treatment and while still in moistcondition is brought into contact with the creping doctor 13 which is areciproeating blade for scraping the paper from the surface of the drierin such a manner as to crepe it without causing any break in thecontinuity of the paper web. The creped paper so produced is indicatedat P and passes upward and over upon a felt 14 which may be of the samecharacter as the felt 5. The felt 14 is guided about a roller 11immediately above the doctor, and thence extends between a second pairof press rolls 15, 15, and thence about a guide roller 17. The directionof the felt from the roller 11 to the press rolls 15 is preferablyinclined downward from the former to'the latter, though I do notrestrict myself in this respect. The felt 14 extends downward from theroller 17, and thence about guide rolls 18, 19, 18, 18, and upward aboutthe guide roll 16, and thence obliquely upward about the roller 11firstmentioned. The guide roller 19 may be adjustable, as in the case ofthe roller 9, so that the felt 14 may have a bight 20 formed therein andbe main- 19. Such practice for retaining felts under proper tension iswell known in theart and no further description of the details will benecessary.

- When the creped paper leaves the drying cylinder 12 under the actionof the doctor, it is more or less set as to the height or depth of thecreped ridges, and if completely dried in this condition it would haveconsiderable elasticity but lack softness. When the creped paper P,however, is passed between the second set of press rolls 15, 15, thecreped or crinkled portions are rolled or broken down to reduce theirheight or depth and increase the creped effect and the paper emergesfrom said rolls in a condition which will impart softness in textureafter being thoroughly dried, which not only removes the harsh andbrittle feeling, but also improves the resistance to tearing under roughhandling. When used for towels or napkins, this increased softness is avery desirable quality to the feel, aside from the increased capacity tobe handled without tearing. The softened crepe paper thus produced isindicated at P and is delivered to the receiving drier 21 which is whatis known as the first or baby drier of the drier section of a papermaking machine, my improvements being introduced into such a machinebetween the Fourdrinier and drier portions thereof.

It will be understood that the amount of pressure upon the paper andfelt applied by the.press rolls 15 may be regulated by any suitablemeans for positioning the rollers with respect to each other, as iscustomary with press. rolls used in connection with paper makingmachines, and located between the couch roll and the first drier.

It will now be understood that the essential feature of my inventionresides in providing the drier 12 with its creping doctor intermediateof the couch roll and the press rolls 15, 15, whereby the latter are sopositioned as to break down or crush the creped portions of the paperweb formed by the action of the doctor. My improvements may vary thesize of the crimped or creped portions of the damp paper web byincreasing or decreasing the speed of travel of the paper with a givenreciprocation of the doctor or by varying the speed and movement of thedoctor relatively to the travel of the paper, whereby the amount orextent of the creping may bevaried according to the use to which thepaper is to be ultimately put.

While I prefer to employ the press rolls 4, 4, for densifying the paperweb and squeezing out the surplus water immediately after the paperleaves the couch roll, as ordinarily employed in connection with papermaking machines, I do not restrict myself to the use of such preliminarypress rolls. Their use, however, is desirable in that the excessivewater should be pressed out of the paper web before the same is receivedon the creping drier.

The treatment of the heated and partly dried paper web to the crepingaction of the doctor 13 produces a more or less set condition to thecreped paper, and this setting is modified in passing between the pressrolls 15, 15, in that the irregularities or ridges and depressionsproduced under the action of the doctor are decreased in size andmultiplied in quantity in passing between the press rolls, and in thismanner given a sufficiently set condition to retain their shape inpassing about the receiving drier 21 and the remaining drying cylindersof the paper making machine, and by reason of which the finished crepedpaper has its pliability and softness increased.

I have described my improved method and means in that particularitywhich I deem to be the best exposition of my invention, and that which Iprefer in commercial practice, but I do not restrict or confine myselfto the minor or secondary details, as such are susceptible ofmodification, which may be reorted to as matters of mechanical skill andwithout a departure from the spirit of the invention.

Having now described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent is:

1. The herein described method of making creped paper embodying softnessand pliability, which consists in subjecting the moist paper web to thesimultaneous action of a heated surface and a scraping action of adoctor in removing the paper in a heated condition from said surface,thereafter sub jecting the creped and partly dried and heated paper webto pressure between rolls for crushing and modifying the crepedcondition of the paper web, and finally subjecting the modified crepedpaper web to the action of further heat for completing the dryingoperation thereof.

2. In a paper making machine for making creped paper, the combination ofmeans for making a paper web and means for finally drying the same, withmeans for creping the paper web preliminary to the final drying thereof,which consists of a rotating heated drying cylinder about which themoist paper web is guided, a doctor operating in connection with thesurface of said heated drying cylinder for scraping the heated andpartly dried paper web and removing the same from the cylinder, andpress rolls between which the partly dried creped paper is passed and bywhich it is subjected to a crushing action, said pressrolls interposedbetween the creping doctor and the means for finally drying the paperweb.

In testimony of which invention, I hereunto set my hand.

HARRY LIEBECK.

